The PBEye
June 28, 2013
On May 30, the Barnes & Thornburg LLP*† Columbus, Ohio, office showcased much more than a scenic view of the city, thanks to a group of attorneys committed to pro bono. The firm, with the Central Ohio ACC Chapter, United Way of Central Ohio, and CPBO co-hosted the city’s second Clinic in a Box® program, in which volunteer attorneys assisted local nonprofit organizations.
The Clinic attracted lawyers from a number of Columbus companies including Abbott Laboratories**, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company**, and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. They started their day with inspiring words from Nathan Holschuh, corporate counsel at Emerson Network Power on behalf of Central Ohio ACC, and Dawn Tyler, senior vice president of community impact at United Way of Central Ohio, followed by an hour and a half training session led by expert attorneys from Barnes & Thornburg, covering areas of law relevant to nonprofit organizations. After the training session, the volunteer lawyers met in teams of two or three to conduct a legal audit of their assigned organizations utilizing a checklist developed by CPBO and tailored to Ohio state law by Barnes & Thornburg. Topics include employment, governance, intellectual property, real estate, and tax.
The participating nonprofits provide immigrant and refugee assistance, youth services, and a variety of other community support initiatives to those in need in Columbus and outside communities. Client feedback after the meetings includes, “very productive,” “well done and very well worth the effort,” and “great event.”
To learn more about the Clinic in a Box® program, or to inquire about hosting a Clinic, contact CPBO Director Eve Runyon.
* denotes a Signatory to the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®
** denotes a Signatory to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge®
† denotes a Member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project